Helicopters

Robinson Helicopter Company has made delivery number 13,000: an R44 Raven headed for Texas operator SKY Helicopters in Dallas. The aircraft, serial number 14438, was delivered on April 23, and it comes fully equipped, with a brand-new paint scheme. The R44 features the following options: a Lithium-ion battery, heated seats, and a 4K cockpit video […]

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) joined five other aviation associations recently in opposition to two New York City bills that would severely restrict helicopter operations in the city and create additional paperwork requirements. The March 9 letter to Peter Vallone, chairman of the New York City Committee on Economic Development, was co-signed by representatives of the […]

Orlando-Sanford International Airport-based Vertical Aviation Technologies, Inc. recently purchased type certificate 1H2 from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, which represents the FAA design approval for the S-52 series helicopters Sikorsky originally developed and certified. Vertical plans to release its own version to the commercial marketplace as the new four-place S-52L Hummingbird. Brad Clark, president of Vertical Aviation, […]

When an engineer proposes a truly new solution to an entrenched problem, a chorus of naysayers inevitably arises from the midst of any nods of appreciation. The FAA, in fact, has produced processes for accepting such departures from common thinking—often found under the “alternate means of compliance” route in aircraft certification—but those manufacturers that have […]

Viewing the Manhattan skyline from any vantage point is impressive, but when seen from aloft the Big Apple skyline becomes a breathtaking experience. In March 2018, a New York tour operator launched an Airbus AS350 helicopter with a pilot and five passengers for what was expected to be a 30-minute dusk flight near the East […]